The present disclosure relates to a sensor pad, in particular, a pad for detecting when an individual exits a chair or a bed.
A serious problem encountered by operators of hospitals, nursing homes, retirement centers, and other facilities that care for patients with limited mobility is that patients who leave their beds without assistance may subsequently trip or fall. Patients that are heavily medicated or sedated are particularly susceptible to falls. For these reasons, much consideration has been given to systems for monitoring patients and providing a warning that a patient is rising from or has left his or her bed.
One type of currently used sensor pad is one that is positionable on a mattress of a bed or seat of a chair. The sensor pad is communicatively coupled to a monitoring device, such as a nurse call system. When pressure on the sensor pad is removed, such as when the patient removes himself or herself from the bed or chair, the sensor pad sends a notification to the monitoring device which provides a notification to the caregiver that the patient is no longer in bed or seated in the chair.
Currently, most of the sensor pads used in patient beds are placed above the mattress in a patient bed. Because of this positioning, current patient monitoring sensor pads are made of soft materials, that are comfortable to sit or lay on, and are more frequently exposed to fluids, friction, and other situations that may reduce the longevity of the monitoring sensor pads.
Described below are patient monitoring sensor pads that are robust and made for placement under the mattress of a patient's bed.